1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to roofing products, and more specifically, to a roof tile support that allows individuals to walk on a tile roof without breaking tiles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Tile is one of the predominant roofing products in use today because of its many advantages over other roofing systems. Tile has a long life span and provides good weather resistance. A tile roof requires little maintenance and is not subject to rotting or insect damage. Tile is fire safe and is available in many different colors, shapes, and styles. Additionally, cement or concrete tiles are generally lighter and cost less than traditional clay or ceramic tiles and can be used on most roofs without having to provide structural reinforcements for the roof.
One of the only disadvantages of a tile roof is that it is difficult to walk on it without breaking tiles. Sometimes it is necessary to walk on a roof to paint the trim, clean windows or gutters, and remove foreign objects. Tile roofs generally cannot take heavy traffic. Careless foot placement or just “heavy feet” can result in broken tiles. Tile is usually placed on a roof with one side secured to the roofing surface, and the other side resting on, and overlapping, another tile. This overlapping creates a space or gap beneath each tile. Stepping on the middle of a tile will likely break it because the tile is not well supported in that location.
Usually only professional roofers are able to walk on tile roofs without damaging any tiles. Yet even a professional tile installer must take great care not to break pieces while walking over the tiles. When walking on a roof, professionals have to choose a route carefully across the reinforced and supported section of each tile. They must walk on the butt of the tile where it rests on solid material, usually at the point where one tile overlaps the next. They must avoid stepping in the center of the tiles where the tiles are vulnerable to fracture. They must focus on distributing their weight evenly between both feet, and walking slowly and softly.
Some tile manufacturers have attempted to improve the “walkability” of their tiles by adding a small post on the underside of the tile that provides support for when someone steps on the middle of the tile. There are several problems with this approach. First, because the posts are an integral part of the tile and consist of the same brittle material as the tiles, they often break off during delivery, installation, or use. Second, the tiles cannot be packaged as compactly and the volume that the tiles occupy during delivery is doubled, leading to increased shipping and delivery costs.
Additionally, tile is laid according to the specific design of an individual roof. Roofers often vary the amount that each row of tiles overlaps the next row in order to cover the roofing surface with uniform rows of tile. A third problem with the posts is that the amount of overlap, or head lap, for those tiles should not be adjusted. By moving a tile forward to increase the head lap, the post does not reach the roofing surface and the tile will rest too low. In this condition, the post is not supporting the tile and the tile is likely to fracture when stepped on. By moving the tile backward to decrease the head lap, the post will be supported higher up on the roof causing the tile to rest too high. In this condition, the post is likely to snap off under a person's weight and the tile is just as likely to break as if there were no post at all.
Some tile manufacturers have introduced different support structures that are permanently attached to their tiles. The biggest problem with these tile structures is their lack of flexibility. As mentioned above, roofers need to be able to adjust the head lap of the tiles to conform to the dimensions and shapes of custom roofs. These pre-supported tile structures require precise alignment and cannot be easily modified by the installer to fit the shape of the roof. Additionally these tile structures are sometimes expensive and are not available in as many colors and styles as the individual roof tiles.